A PATIENT was left fighting for her life after a pensioner’s car smashed into her as she sat on a hospital bench.

The 64-year-old, from Tamworth, suffered serious head injuries when a red Peugeot 107 veered off an access road before careering into the bench and a cafe and WHSmith shop complex at Good Hope Hospital.

The impact, which happened at around 10am on Wednesday, partially demolished a small brick wall and shattered a shop window while the front of the car was left a crumpled wreck.

The woman was initially taken to the Sutton Coldfield site’s accident and emergency department before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s major trauma centre.

She is in a critical condition.

The Peugeot driver, aged 83, suffered minor injuries and shock and was treated at Good Hope. Another woman, aged 56 and from Dudley, who was inside the shop, also suffered minor wounds.

It was not clear exactly how the accident happened but the scene was sealed off by police, forcing patients and visitors to avoid the hospital’s Rectory Road entrance.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews found clinicians from the hospital treating a woman who had been on a bench outside the kiosk as well as the driver of the car.

“The woman, who was outside the hospital, was taken to A&E by hospital staff. Ambulance staff treated the driver of the car.

“At 12.25pm, the ambulance service was asked to transfer the patient who had been outside the WHSmiths from Good Hope to the major trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“A second ambulance and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford were dispatched.”

Good Hope’s managing director Sue Moore said: “Our thoughts are with both patients.

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused as the necessary works were carried out to make the building fully secure.”